National Republican., 1887-01-29
The Rocket md the Stick.

iue eutei priniHB Dut uulOTtunaJe young
gentleman, Lord Randolph Churchill, is
not even an extinct volcano; he is merely
played out "cracker" of July, or, to re-
tain the sentiment Of Thomas Moore, "the
stick is still there, but the rocket has
gone" Water is notorious for finding its
own level. Even brandy and water, In
fluid state, has been known to accomplish
that feat, and Churchill's craftsmanship
has consisted entirely Of an occasional short
nip of strong brandy, followed by a gallon
Of water, (which washes away every trace of
the cheering but inebriating liquid.
In one respect the late chancellor OF the
English exchequer represents Prometheus,
in that he has stolen good deal Of fire,
although from Mr.. Gladstone and not from
olympian Jove. Like Prometheus, too, he
has been chained to rock, not in the eau.
casus, but on the ragged edge Of political
party which he has betrayed, and which
will afford him every opportunity for being
his own vulture to eat out what is left to
him of the apology for heart.
Lord Churchill's present position calls for
pity rather than for contempt or anger. 1t
under the burden Of broken health and
breaking spirits, and, under such circum-
stances, any public man may claim modi-
cum OF sympathy. 1t is on record that his
doctors have given him only three years to
live, and Labouchere informed him that the
genuine radicals would kill him of before
the end Of the first year. Another man, In
such position and with opportunities 80
great and manifold, would have cast about
to identify himself with some cause which
might bring solid benefit or even honor to
his country, though such honor should
assume the form of remedying, or trying
to remedy, the hard lot Of the poor and
oppressed But Churchill knows ne
such promptings of the heart or
simple imaginings Of the intellect.
He faces death as he faced life with an
utterly uniformed intellect and the shall
low, selfish desires Of typical ward politi-
clan. Iti not long since he remarked to a
friend in the house OF commons that "no
political crime would turn hair of my
head" and he has succeeded In piling up
political misdemeanors which, II they fail
in changing the color or locality OF one OF
his sparse hairs, have become serious
enough to bankrupt him in brains and
character with his party and all classes OF
his countrymen. "Englishmen," said Lord
Palmerston, 'like leader who shows
them game" and poor little Churchill
started out as fox, but when the hunt
really began the sagacious animal was
found to have only the courage of cat,
with lighting capacity of similar order.
When Churchill, with three other unat
tached mediocritles, formed the "Fourth
Party" he gained infamous notorlety by
blaekguarding Gladstone and heaping In,
science upon the other leaders Of the liberal
movement. lie Joined the Irish nationalist
in tactics which were perfectly Legitimate
for men who refused to acknowledge the
authority Of Englishmen to govern theil
country, but which were monstrously un
becoming in an Englishman who aspired tC
lead that parliament himself.
He made a solemn compact with the
| Irish leaders that, as return for their sup
| port at the last election, tory cabinet
would give early and favorable consldera.
ton to the Irish home rule question. When
returned to power, with sufficient working
majority from the unlonists, he simply
laughed at his promises TO Parnell.
1t was bad enough to deceive his enemies,
but he could not even keep faith with his
friends and closest allies. Northcote
Cross, and Smith, who represented the re-
spectability Of his party, were contemptu
ously thrust aside, and Chaplin, who repre-
sents more fairly than anybody else
among conservatives the interests of agrl-
culture, was gagged with sinecure.
The tory party has always passed as the
friend Of existing guilds and city govern
ment in London, but Churchill promptly
stole Gladstone's scheme for reforming the